Holbrook’s new mayor Kathleen Smith was sworn in two weeks ago and is excited to begin her term serving the city. Smith has already outlined priorities that she would like to work with the council and city manager to address, including creating a strategic plan, economic development and the concerns regarding abandoned buildings.
“It is no secret that one of the first things we need to do is take a stronger stance against blight on our main streets. We have a strong policy when it comes to code enforcement, so we need to take a hard look to see what the roadblocks are that are stopping us from accomplishing our goals. We understand there may be some businesses doing their best but still unable to financially make repairs; we can work with those that are trying but may need assistance. There are non-profits and other organizations that we can direct them to and help them with potential solutions.”
Business support and collaboration is also something that Smith believes is important. “We want to work with those that have invested in Holbrook and it behooves us to be a resource to those wanting to be successful in our city. Eighty percent of economic growth comes from existing businesses, so we should be a resource to those that are trying. The last thing we want to see is a local business having to shut their doors.”
Smith is looking to create goals each year and make sure that there are actionable steps to reach those goals. “There are multiple concerns that have been brought to my attention, from our streets, to flooding, blight, zoning ordinances, cooperation amongst community entities, quality of life for our residents and more. I believe we can start tackling many issues simultaneously if we work together as a community and with other organizations that have a vested interest in Holbrook.”
Smith said she would love to see Holbrook become a place where someone can retire comfortably and where families see their children come back to work and raise their families. “We do this by having the amenities they need; these same amenities are those that will attract industry to our town because their employees will want to move here. Some key elements we are missing is a strong healthcare system, services for our senior citizens, more activities for our youth and our children, and affordable housing.”
Smith stated the need for a strong workforce with skilled labor in order to realize goals for development. “We need to work with our educational institutions and make sure we are all on the same page and moving forward collectively. We have great leaders throughout our city that are already doing a phenomenal job, let’s keep that momentum going and work together so we can move farther, faster. It won’t always be smooth sailing, but we should see forward movement. I’m ready and excited to get to work and see what we can accomplish in the next few years.”
Smith also addressed some of Holbrook’s strengths that need to be marketed. “Holbrook has such a diverse history you really can’t just pick one theme to promote. We have Route 66, the Hashknife Pony Express, Petrified Forest, our Wild West history, and I think we need to improve our marketing when it comes to our Native American and Hispanic heritage.”
Smith noted that cultural tourism is a trend that she doesn’t see going away, as more people are looking for experiences in their travels. “I believe we have something unique as we are so diverse that we can do more to market ourselves to a wide array of travelers. This will need to be done as we work with existing business and entrepreneurs to ensure that are visitors have a great experience when they stop in our city.”
Smith knows a great deal about the city she is ready to serve, coming from a generational family that calls Holbrook home. “I was born and raised in Holbrook. I graduated from Holbrook High School in 1991 and then after high school my dad, George Gardner, convinced me to stay and go to school at Northland Pioneer College as he was trying to start the music program there.”
College brought more than an education to Smith’s life. While she attending the college she met her husband David Smith, who was from Snowflake. “My dad told him he wouldn’t hold that against him,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, we convinced David to move to Holbrook, not just once but twice now.”
Smith recalled living in Mesa for a time where her husband did construction, and Smith handled the business side of contracting. While there, Smith returned to college and obtained a bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University with a degree in non-profit management. After learning of an opening with the City of Holbrook as the events and tourism director, the Smiths decided it was time to move closer to family and she accepted the job. Once in the position she also served as the chamber of commerce director and the community development director. Following her time at the city, Smith worked for Holbrook Unified School District as a college and career readiness instructor and from there went to work for ARIZONA@WORK of Northeastern Arizona as the deputy director of stakeholder engagement. “There I had the opportunity to work with some of our great business, civic and non-profit leaders in Navajo, Apache and Gila counties.”
With a wide array of skills under her belt, Smith and her business partner began the non-profit Grow Arizona this past year, a workforce development organization with an emphasis on assisting students and young adults.
“My time with the city and county showed me that there are some challenges and obstacles that our employers are facing, especially in regard to our workforce. It has already been a rewarding experience working with our youth and we have some great opportunities in the works.”
Smith knows that even with a collaborative effort, there will challenges along the way. “I believe the role of the mayor along with the city council is to create a strategic plan that fits the value of the community. Input from the public will be a vital part to making sure we are seeing a more complete picture of the needs and desires of our citizens. We will always have new challenges, but we will continue to have new opportunities as well. Once we have goals in place, we will work closely with the city manager to make sure we are staying focused on our priority projects, and being adaptable for the unexpected.
“I also strongly believe we as a council cannot do this alone but need to be working closely with all the stakeholders in our region, from our school district, community college, Navajo County, utility companies, non-profits, and business leaders.”
Smith will be conducting her first city council meeting at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) and invites the public to attend.
